Hey all, Dani here.
Oh man, I am so tired right now. So yeah, you know that job I somewhat complained about last week, the one that made me tired and sore and all that? Well last night I had a dream that I was put in that area for the day, and I went into work today and guess where I had to work? If you guessed that my dream was correct, then you would absolutely be right. I’m getting better at the couple of jobs in the rotation that I was having issues with, but I’m still not at 100%. So once again my body is super sore, and I feel like I accomplished very little after work.
But today is another Manga Monday, and so let’s continue talking about this new manga series I’ve found and am really enjoying so far.
Book Details
Art by: Waco Ioka
Original Story by: Midori Yuma
Character Design by: Laruha
Summary
Faced with the choice of being married to a strange spirit or being made into dinner, Aoi decides to create a third option for herself!
Aoi Tsubaki inherited her grandfather’s ability to see spirits—and his massive debt to them! Now she’s been kidnapped and taken to Kakuriyo, the spirit world, to make good on his bill. Her options: marry the head of the inn her grandfather trashed, or get eaten by ayakashi. But Aoi isn’t the type to let spirits push her around, and she’s determined to redeem her grandfather’s IOU on her own terms!
Aoi’s having no luck finding a job at the Tejin-ya inn, but a chance encounter with the tengu Matsuba might give her another option! Her home cooking and kind manner impress the crow demon, and when he finds out why she’s in Kakuriyo, he offers to welcome her into his family as a daughter-in-law to pay off her debt! Can the still unemployed Aoi afford to turn down such a generous offer?
My Thoughts
Rating: 5 stars
Okay, real talk everyone, I read the first four volumes of this back-to-back within 24 hours or something like that. So I’m pretty sure a lot of the smaller plot points have all sort of blurred together so I can’t remember which happens in which volume. But overall I can certainly say that I still very much enjoy this manga so far.
I may have said it in the last review, but this really does make me think of quite a few Studio Ghibli films. There is such a whimsical feel to it. But most importantly, there is a definite focus on food. Have you noticed how much attention and care there is in the portrayal of food in anything by Studio Ghibli? It is lovely and yet it also makes me hungry. Well, so does this manga.
In this volume Aoi is still definitely trying to get her bearings in this spirit realm and figure out how she’s going to deal with her current predicament. Her options are to find a place to work and earn enough to pay off her grandfather’s debt, or accept one of the marriage offers she’s been given and that will pay off the debt as well. It’s fascinating to watch as she tries to find a place for herself, while also holding true to who she is and how she was raised.
Also, I still love the diversity of the spirits and all of their different types. It makes the story so much more interesting to me.
Oh, and Volume 5 just came out and Damian picked it up when we went to B&N over the weekend, so I’m definitely looking forward to finding out what is going to happen next.
Where to Get a Copy
You can pick up your own copy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local independent bookstore.
You can also check with your local library.
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